Hosiery, for example pantyhose, are fine, thinly-knit articles of clothing worn over the legs of women. Hosiery, however, has a tendency to easily develop rips, tears, holes and runs, usually caused by objects catching or snagging them. The prices of pantyhose range in cost from about $2.00 to about $20.00, depending on their quality, brand, size, color and pattern. Any tear or run in the pantyhose results in the wearer disposing of them. This problem often causes the wearer to spend a considerable amount of money replacing them over the course of time, especially when the imperfection appears on the first day of use.
Furthermore, another problem with pantyhose is that they tend to tear or run while they are worn on the woman's legs. This often causes embarrassment and inconvenience to the wearer since they are difficult and virtually impossible to repair on the spot.
Attempts have been made to repair hosiery that have developed tears, rips, holes or runs. One way in which an imperfection such as a run, snag, hole or the like in the hosiery is sealed is by applying a clear fingernail enamel thereto. This method, however, provides only a temporary repair, and repeated stress and/or stretching causes the nail polish enamel to give way, thus causing the pantyhose to run. Furthermore, clear nail polish enamel will neither hold nor allow for overlap repair holding of the pantyhose or other hosiery.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,322 relates to a pantyhose mender and a method for mending a snag in pantyhose. This patent discloses a decorative mending device for placement over the snag or run on the outside of the pantyhose and a matching piece for placement over the snag or run on the inside of the pantyhose. Each member has a waterproof adhesive on the inside surface allowing the members to be adhesively pressed together to decoratively repair the snag. Even though this device is capable of mending a snag or run in pantyhose, it often requires the wearer to take her pantyhose off each time an imperfection in the pantyhose exists. In order to place the matching backup piece on the inside of her pantyhose. Therefore, this device cannot be used if a rip occurs at a location where the wearer has no access to removal of her pantyhose. Accordingly, this method of repairing runs and snags in pantyhose may prove to be impossible or at least inconvenient. Moreover, even though this mending device may decorate and repair runs and snags in pantyhose, if the rip or run is considerably large, this device may be so large that it may be aesthetically unappealing and may no adequately repair the damaged pantyhose. Therefore, in light of the prior art, there is no known method of both conveniently and permanently repairing rips, tears, holes and runs in hosiery.
Reference is also made to L. G. Copeman, U.S. Pat. No. 2,172,251, which discloses dipping hosiery into latex to coat stockings and prevent runs, but with the obvious adverse effect on appearance.